Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Last week we had a very brutal and random heatwave where it decided to be 90˙F(!!!). I had a literal and figurative meltdown that day. It was bad. But now the cold weather is here and I’m back to being stoked on life.

It makes me super grateful that we live in a world where hot weather takes a break–and allows us to stop sweating–and cold air enters. And I’m glad sweaters exists, and dogs with wrinkly faces exist, and, AND soup exists! Rad.

I love punk’n. Are you all punk’n-ed out? Hope not. It’s only October, guys. We’ve got a solid more month of this stuff.

This spicy and more pumpkiney rendition is just begging to made alongside a roast chicken.

Seriously. Roasting a chicken and making a soup are my two favorite little things to make. They’re classics.

This soup gets its spiciness from a few places. Not just one. There’s a little bit of a few things like curry powder, red pepper flakes and a dash of cayenne pepper. None of them are overwhelming. You’ll taste just a hint of each.

If you’re sensitive to spice, I say start with half of each. Taste. And then add more if you like.

The brown sugar adds a nice touch of sweetness that you’ll barely notice. It’s good. And the heavy cream isn’t overwhelming. I personally have issues with super creamy soups. I’m not a fan of drinking a bowl of milk for dinner.

The toasted pumpkin seeds add a nice little crunch to the whole soup. I love them.

Serve this with a roast chicken (or not). But definitely serve this with some buttery good bread on a coldish night. It’ll be a memorable one.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot, add the onions, and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add minced garlic to the top of the onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the pumpkin purée, chicken stock, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. The soup will be mostly smooth (minus the bits of onions). You can leave it as is, if you like, and skip the blender step, though I prefer a smoother soup. Process the mixture, in batches, using a blender. Be sure to let the hot air escape so you don’t have an explosions on your hands. Return the mixture to the pot and add the spices: curry powder, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and heavy cream. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. Salt to taste. The soup might need the remaining teaspoon of salt, or it might not, depending on the chicken stock you’ve used.

3. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350F. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Transfer to the oven to toast for 5-7 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

4. Serve soup hot with the toasted pumpkin seeds in the center and a drizzle of heavy cream on top. Fall is awesome.

Hi!!! I’ve been reading your site since I was 14 (for a year now) and this is the first time I’ll actually comment on your posts! This soup looks so good! Too bad I can’t make them because it’s spring and so hot in my place so it’s going to be weird to eat soup on a hot spring night. But ugh, I love soup. Especially pumpkin soups! I shall try and make this when autumn comes!

AWESOME! I have literally been wandering around my office today dreaming of pumpkin soup for dinner! THANK YOU!

This stems from our weekend of pumpkin – we went to the famous Circleville Pumpkin Show in Ohio this weekend and had pumpkin chicken sandwiches, pumpkin sloppy joes, pumpkin french waffles, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin mochas, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin PIZZA, pumpkin soda, pumpkin cookies…and here I am still wanting pumpkin!

Yeah…. it was 89 here last week and pouring rain today! Definitely time for soup!!

I’m more of a fan of savory pumpkin dishes than sweet ones, and the addition of spices sounds amazingg. I only have one cup of homemade pumpkin puree left, but I also just bought a butternut squash, so I may try using that instead!

This looks soooo good! Can you suggest a menu that would include this soup — nice enough for guests. You said to serve with a roast chicken, but how would you actually do that as a dinner for guests? Soup first? Then chix, and what else? Thanks!! Love your blog.

Hi Emily! I would serve the soup first. The soup can be made ahead of time, if you like, and you can just reheat it when you’re ready. I would serve the chicken alongside these polenta fries or spicy baked green bean fries. Both are so easy and delicious. LOVE THEM. Hope this helps!